


Steele Full of Surprises

by NorahBolt56



Category: Remington Steele (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:35:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28447782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorahBolt56/pseuds/NorahBolt56
Summary: This fic is set directly after 'Steele in Circulation" and is my take on what may have happened afterwards..
Relationships: Laura Holt/Remington Steele
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

Her close call with death the night before as they broke into the Federal Reserve Bank had given Laura a new perspective on things that was for sure, she reflected as she drove with Mr Steele to her house. As she’d dangled precariously from the steel girder attached to the crane after losing her footing, the hand that had shot out to grab hers and save her life had been strong and steady – two qualities she hadn’t originally credited to the man who that hand belonged to, but as she was coming to realise, he definitely possessed. As his eyes had met hers and he urged her not to look down, she saw the fear that must have surely been in her eyes mirrored in his, which told her more than words ever could. His reassuring, encouraging voice had calmed her and she had trusted him as she put her life in his hands, grabbing his offered hand as he pulled her to safety.

And then when they were in the currency mulching room inside the Bank their conversation had taken a rather interesting turn. Mr Steele had commented with a grin as he looked at their surroundings, "I've always wanted to roll about in millions of dollars with a beautiful woman. Curious how one's fantasies are fulfilled, hey?"

Laura had looked at him and remarked, "Maybe it's time to start thinking about fulfilling some other fantasies."

"Whose? Yours or mine?" he’d asked, intrigued by her response.

"Ours. It's always good to take things slow, and not rush things between us. Not get in too deep. But only because we assume we'll both be around when the proper time comes,” she’d stated, surprising both Mr Steele and herself a bit.

"I know. I almost lost you out there tonight. Suddenly, I realised I'm not prepared for that at all," he’d responded which warmed her heart as he pulled her in for a tender kiss. They’d somewhat reluctantly drawn apart after a few moments as he murmured ruefully, “I can't think of a conversation I'd like to continue more. But I'm afraid I haven't left any room for it in the schedule."

They’d made a silent agreement to continue that rather interesting conversation at another time, so when they’d returned to the office early Monday morning after successfully solving the case, Laura had decided there was no time like the present. Mr Steele had seemingly read her mind as he announced to a bemused Bernice when she came into the office that they had a pressing conversation to complete before they left the agency together, Laura informing Bernice that they wouldn’t be needing coffee as they’d be having tea. Well I don’t know about tea, but we will having another three letter word that starts with ‘s’, Laura thought mischievously to herself as they took the elevator down to the carpark and Mr Steele followed her to the Rabbit.

When they’d turned up at Murphy’s apartment with Alfred early on Saturday morning to find he had company of the female variety, Laura had realised that practically everyone around her seemed to have an active love life except for her. Bernice had recently confessed to her she’d met a saxophone player of all things, who she was really starting to feel something for, and though she rarely discussed their respective private lives, it seemed ole Murph was doing okay in the dating game as well. Not that she begrudged him that - after he’d confessed a few months back that he had feelings for her and she had to admit to him she didn’t feel the same way, she was glad to see that he was moving on.

So what was she waiting for? she asked herself. She hadn’t even been on a date let alone anything else since that Creighton Phillips creep and look how well that had turned out she thought ruefully. But deep down she knew the answer – it was because there was only one man she was interested in. The man with the ‘blue eyes and mysterious past’ who had turned her life upside down in more ways than one.

As she drove along, she couldn’t help sneaking a glance at him – neither of them had slept in over 24 hours but he still managed to look like he’d stepped out of a GQ magazine. And as she’d confessed to Bernice several months ago, she was definitely ‘itchy’. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been with a man – was it Norman the stockbroker who she’d dated for a while sometime after Wilson had left her? she tried to remember. Well whoever it had been, the experience obviously hadn’t left much of an impression on her if it was that forgettable she realised.

But if the way Mr Steele kissed her was anything to go by she knew sleeping with him would be very, very memorable , and that her ‘itch’ would be well and truly scratched! She had never met a man who she’d had such instant chemistry with - he only had to flash a lopsided grin at her or cock an eyebrow in that roguish way he had, to turn her insides to jelly and her thoughts to wander. She sometimes found it hard to concentrate on work when he was around, imagining what lay under those expensive suits he favoured or replaying in her head the romantic, although more often than not frustratingly brief, interludes they’d shared. And that passionate kiss they had shared in the wine cellar of a monastery of all places had given her a tantalizing preview of what could be if she would only let it.

So she’d made a decision – she was through with waiting for the ‘perfect moment’, through with holding him off or putting the brakes on. Through with being afraid to live, or to feel. Life was for living so she was going to live it!

But she also knew it wasn’t just physical attraction that was drawing her to him – it was his character as well. Over time she had begun to see more and more glimpses of the real him - his concern for Alfred Hollis, a complete stranger who he saved from throwing himself off a bridge had shown her yet again what kind of man he was under the charming con-man façade. It was not the first time she’d seen him stick up for an underdog – Sheldon Quarry for instance, or his reaction to a morgue attendant disparaging the memory of his old friend Wallace, after his untimely death. The man she called Remington Steele was, she was quickly finding out, a loyal, caring person with a heart of gold.

And then a month or so ago he’d demonstrated that loyalty again when his former mentor Daniel Chalmers had turned up out of the blue asking for his help. And Mr Chalmers had provided her with some more insights into her ‘mystery man’ and his past. The angry, uneducated, unsophisticated young man he’d once been, trying to survive on the streets of London, seemed a lifetime away from the debonair, charming man who had come into her life and just added another complex layer to the man she knew, who despite her best efforts not to, she had fallen in love with.

They seemed to reach her house in record time, her driving rather exuberant, as she knew she didn’t want to waste anymore time or give herself time to chicken out. Once they pulled into her drive, Remington immediately got out and ever the gentleman went round to her side of the car and opened her door for her. She thanked him with a dimpled smile before taking his proffered hand, a look of understanding passing between them.

As they got to her front door she fished out her key and opened it and once they were both inside, Laura couldn’t wait any longer. As she’d done in the monastery wine cellar she decided to throw caution to the wind and make the first move. She closed the door behind them without bothering to lock it as she pulled him to her and kissed him – a searing kiss that left them both shaken and yearning for more.

“I gather we’re not having tea then?” Remington quipped with a devillish grin when they momentarily drew apart to catch their breath as Laura grinned back and replied in a sultry tone, “Forget the damn tea.” He needed no further encouragement as his lips claimed hers again, demanding and receiving a very strong response, which both surprised and delighted him. He half expected her to have second thoughts and put the brakes on as she’d done numerous times in the past, but the moment never came. Instead she continued to set his senses on fire as her kisses trailed down to his neck, to the point just under his ear that elicited a groan of pleasure from him.

“Lauraa..,” he uttered her name as her hands moved to his chest. “Yes Mr Steele?” Laura murmured as she looked at him through her eyelashes and he visibly gulped at the effect she was having on him.

“Are..are you sure?” he asked softly, his eyes searching hers as he tenderly traced one of her cheeks with his hand.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” Laura assured him with a dimpled smile. “I could have died last night if not for you and I guess that made me realise that life is too short for regrets.”

“Indeed,” Remington agreed, a lopsided grin spreading across his face.

With that Laura took him by the hand and led him down the hall to her bedroom, surprising him yet again but he dare not speak unless he break the spell that Laura appeared to be under.

Once in her bedroom she begun urgently tugging his sweater out of his trousers but Remington grabbed her hands in his, stilling them. “Let’s not rush things eh? I’ve waited a long time to fulfill these fantasies so how about we take our time and enjoy?” he murmured against her lips. Laura nodded silently, her smile mirrored by his as she led him over to the bed.

They undressed each other slowly, taking their time to explore and arouse, indulging their mutual fantasies. And although they were both exhausted due to the lack of sleep they’d had over the weekend, they found themselves invigorated as they made love, taking each other to new heights that they had never experienced with any other lover. They instinctively knew how to touch each other to leave the other yearning for more and when their need for each other finally overwhelmed them, Laura pulled Remington down to her. The love & desire she saw in his eyes was reflected in hers as he joined his body with hers, the reality of their union far surpassing any fantasies they may have had.

When they finally came back down to earth, basking in the afterglow in each other’s arms, a smile crossed both of their faces. “That was…,” Remington began, searching for words adequate to describe the experience. “I know,” Laura replied with a smile as she rested her head on his chest while Remington ran a hand through her hair.

“So did it fulfil your fantasies?” she asked as she raised herself up to look at him, a mischievous gleam in her brown eyes. “I think surpassed is the correct term Laura,” Remington replied, a broad grin spreading across his face, still not quite believing what had transpired between them. “Mmm indeed,” Laura replied with a satisfied sigh as Remington pulled her back onto his chest and put a protective arm around her, holding her close to his heart, the two of them falling into a contented sleep..

**********************************

Remington awoke sometime later initially wondering where he was – he knew he wasn’t home in his apartment that was for sure. And then he remembered where he was and who he was with, as the woman in his arms stirred slightly but did not wake. A lopsided grin crossed his face as he pulled Laura a bit closer to him, still marvelling at the fact that he was in her bed and that they had finally shared that ’magic moment’. And it had certainly been magical – he had never experienced a connection like that with a woman. He’d felt connected to her body, heart & soul. One thing was for sure – she had captured his closely guarded heart without him even realising it. As he watched her sleep he knew he had finally found what he’d been looking for his whole life – a home to call his own and it was right here in her arms.

As he lay there, his thoughts drifted to the conversation he’d had over the weekend with Alfred Hollis when Alfred had asked him why he was worried about what happened to him. Remington had explained to him about his ‘previous life’ and how he understood despair and self-doubt.

_“I was in a state of perpetual anger. Lashing out at anything and anyone who crossed my path. I didn't realise it then but that anger was directed at myself, a way of ending a life that held no promise. No purpose. No future. No nothing. Then someone came along and taught me self-respect. Imbued in me a certain clarity of thought, a certain sense of direction. Perhaps I'm merely attempting to repay that person through you."_

And as he looked at Laura he knew that someone he had spoken of was her. Despite her initial mistrust, which to be fair he couldn’t really blame her for, given his previous profession, she had believed in him and given him a purpose in life. She had showed him he could be more than the lot in life he’d been dealt. He also remembered how when he’d expressed his worries for Alfred and asked who the poor guy had now, Laura had placed a hand on his shoulder and said to him with that beautiful smile of hers that never failed to brighten his day, “He has you.” And that had meant the world to him – her belief in him gave him the strength and confidence to believe in himself. He also reflected on his former mentor Daniel’s observation a couple of months back that he seemed almost domesticated and he knew that was true – he was a changed man from the man who had never stayed tied to one place or one anything for too long. And the reason for that was the woman who he held in his arms and who he knew he could now never let go – the exquisite Laura Holt.

Just as he thought that she woke and stretched, a smile lighting up her face as she saw him next to her. “Welcome back,” he murmured with a smile of his own as he softly brushed her lips with his. “Good to be back – I needed that sleep though,” Laura admitted. “Are you hungry? I could whip us up something if you like?” Remington offered as Laura shook her head. “Well I am hungry – but not for food,” she replied mischievously as he cocked an eyebrow at her, knowing that now they’d had a taste of each other they only craved more.

“Well whatever the lady wants,” he chuckled as they were soon lost in their own mysteries again…


	2. Chapter 2

After spending the rest of the day with Sherry, Murphy somewhat reluctantly dropped her home as she had some notes to finish off for a lecture she was giving the following day. “I really had a great time this weekend Murphy,” Sherry stated with a smile as she kissed him goodbye. “Me too,” Murphy replied with a grin then added a little sheepishly, “Sorry you got dragged into helping us with that Hollis guy.”

Sherry laughed good-naturedly. “Are you kidding me? That was the most exciting weekend I’ve had in ages! And I’m not just talking about the bedroom – although that was pretty exciting,” she said with a mischievous grin which Murphy returned as he leant in closer to her again. “Oh you think so huh? So ah.. how did my performance measure up?” he asked mischievously as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Oh it measured up just fine,” Sherry breathed as they shared another lingering kiss.

“So..I’d like to see you again if you’re interested,” Murphy murmured when the finally drew apart. Sherry smiled but hesitated a little before replying, which didn’t go unnoticed to Murphy’s keen detective eye. “Oh I’m definitely interested..,” she replied. “Why do I get the feeling there’s a ‘but’ coming ?” Murphy asked, wondering what the problem was.

“Because there is,” Sherry sighed. “Oh I wish we’d met months ago Murph. The thing is I’ve just accepted a teaching post at the University of Colorado in Denver in their Psych department. I leave in a month. So as much as I’d love to see you again I don’t know if it’s wise to start something now – I mean your life is clearly here in LA and long distance relationships rarely work,” she stated with a wry expression as Murphy nodded, albeit reluctantly, in agreement.

“Yeah I guess you’re right,” he admitted as he ran a hand through his hair, wondering again to himself if his life here in LA was indeed a given anymore. He’d hadn’t had cause to doubt it until HE’d turned up – that thieving, lying con-man who had turned Laura’s head and assumed the persona of Remington Steele. Murphy was determined not to like him from the outset – after all he’d first come into their lives trying to steal the jewels the agency had been hired to protect. He didn’t trust the guy one bit – he still wasn’t sure what his game was, but he suspected it involved Laura and that was what had him worried.

If Murphy was being honest with himself, he’d been living in hope for years, ever since he’d first met Laura at Havenhurst. Hoping that with time and persistence she would eventually come to see him as more than just a colleague or a friend. His hand had been forced when ‘Steele’ turned up and right away had made his intentions towards Laura pretty clear. Murphy still found it hard to believe his usually level-headed, sensible friend had fallen for his smarmy charm. So he had a posh English accent and looked good in a suit? Big deal! Murphy had thought to himself. What Laura needed was a good, stable guy who wasn’t going to leave her in the lurch like that jerk Wilson had done. And Murphy thought he pretty well fit that bill – much better than some con-man thief did, that’s for sure.

Problem was Laura didn’t feel the same. He’d finally bit the bullet a few months ago and had showed and told her how he felt about her. He’d impulsively grabbed her and kissed her in the office, just as Steele walked into the room much to Murphy’s delight. But she hadn’t responded to him at all. Then when he’d tried to broach the subject with her she’d told him that it wasn’t going to happen – she just didn’t see him that way and that wasn’t going to change. Relegated to the friend zone, Murphy had resigned himself to his fate as far as Laura was concerned and had started getting back into the dating scene.

But that didn’t mean he stopped being concerned for her welfare – they were good friends after all. Sooner or later Steele was going to let her down – professionally and personally, he was sure of it. And it was the latter that concerned Murphy the most. He’d seen what Wilson’s leaving had done to her – he dreaded to think how she would cope if her heart got broken again.

He had to admit though, he was a bit surprised Steele had stuck around this long. There’d been more than a few times when he’d thought (well hoped) that he was going to take off and leave them, especially Laura, high and dry, like during the Five Nudes of Cairo case. But he’d stuck around. And over time, rather than just playing poster boy for the agency he had actually started to involve himself more in casework, much to Murphy’s chagrin. He had to admit though (not that he’d ever admit it to the man himself) the guy seemed to have a bit of a flair for it, probably due to his own criminal past no doubt, Murphy thought. And as Steele’s role in the agency grew, Murphy noticed that his had seemed to decline somewhat, more often than not of late being relegated to obtaining autopsy reports and the like. And that wasn’t enough for Murphy, he missed the more exciting aspects of detective work – late night stakeouts, breaking into places and searching for clues, catching crooks in the act, not to mention actually getting some credit for solving a case, rather than some flashy frontman taking all the kudos.

And now he had met a girl who he seemed to have a real connection with - she was smart, funny, accomplished, not to mention very attractive he thought to himself as he gazed into her eyes. Maybe it was time for him to stop living in the past and move on, and do what was right for him for a change rather than anyone else. He had left a good job at Hazelhurst to help Laura achieve her dreams, but maybe it was time for him to achieve a few of his own. He’d often toyed with the idea of opening his own agency one day but that had always seemed like a pipe dream – but what if it wasn’t?

With those thoughts in mind he took Sherry’s hands in his and said with a hopeful smile, “How about we chat more about this over dinner tomorrow?”. Sherry knew she should probably turn him down after what she’d just told him, but she guessed dinner wouldn’t hurt. And with the way he was looking at her she found him hard to resist. Once she’d agreed to dinner they shared one more kiss before she reluctantly got out of his car and went into her apartment building, both of them wondering what the future may hold.

Murphy made sure she was safely inside then started up the engine and decided to swing by Laura’s place to see if she needed him to do anything on the Cutler case to help locate his stolen Koi. He pulled up outside her house not long after and jogged up to the front door, glad to see the Rabbit in her driveway, indicating she was home.

He rang the door bell but found it a little strange when there was no answer. Maybe she’s asleep he wondered, thinking she probably hadn’t got much, if any sleep since Friday night. She probably hit the sack as soon as she got home, he mused, not realising how right he was (in a way). Still that had been hours ago he thought as he knocked on the door, only for it to swing open, much to his surprise. That’s not like Laura to leave her door unlocked, Murphy thought to himself as he cautiously stepped inside, hoping everything was ok.

“Laura?” he called out. When there was no reply he strained his ears to listen for any sounds. He looked around but couldn’t see anything that would indicate a break in or anything else untoward. He then heard something – it sounded like low murmuring, coming from the direction of the bedrooms.

He carefully inched down the hallway following the sounds to Laura’s bedroom. He thought he heard a moan, and fearing she was hurt he threw open the door only to find Laura and Steele in a very compromising position. “Murphy!” Laura shrieked in shock as she desperately tried to pull the sheet up to cover herself and Remington muttered an expletive under his breath. “What in the bloody hell do you think you’re doing Michaels?” he demanded as he sat up and flashed Murphy a dirty look. “I could ask you the same thing Steele!” Murphy shot back angrily. He’d suspected they might be ‘involved’ as it were but to see the evidence of that right before his eyes was a bit hard to take.

“I would think that’s a bit obvious wouldn’t you mate?” Remington retorted sarcastically. “Ah Murph we were just..” Laura went to put in as she blushed furiously, being caught in such a situation by her friend and colleague, especially as she knew there was no love lost between the two men.

Murphy put a hand up to stop her. “Don’t bother explaining Laura – I know what you were ‘just’. Well I guess I’ll leave you to it then. I just popped over to see if you needed any help with the Cutler case but I see you’ve got other things on your mind. It’s not my place to cast judgements on your personal life but seriously Laura – him?” he stated, with more than a hint of derision as he turned and walked out of the room, shaking his head as he did so.

“Now just hold on a bloody minute Murphy!” Remington retorted as he jumped out of the bed and hastily pulled on his briefs and pants then followed him out as Murphy stormed off down the hall.

“I’ve got nothing to say to you Steele!” Murphy spat at him as Steele grabbed him by the shoulder. “Well maybe I’ve got something to say to you,” Remington snapped back, his blue eyes blazing as Murphy shrugged off his hand. While he knew Murphy was certainly never going to be his best mate, he at least thought, or had hoped, that the time they had spent working together had led to an albeit somewhat begrudging respect developing between the two of them. He knew seeing him with Laura like that was bound to be a bit of a shock given that he knew Murphy had harboured feelings for her, but he thought given Murphy was obviously ‘spending time’ with other women that he had started to move on.

“Well I gather we’ll finally be seeing the back of you now you’ve got what you wanted from her. I know how you womanizing jerks operate – you’re so used to women just falling into bed with you that I guess she was a bit of challenge so that’s why you stuck around so long hey?” Murphy stated sarcastically and was genuinely surprised to see a hurt look momentarily cross the other man’s face before he steeled his expression again.

“Is that all you think of me Murphy? If that was all I was interested in I would have been long gone by now!” Remington retorted, his jaw clenched in anger.

“Well what are you interested in then huh? The luxury apartment, the chauffered limousine, the flashy clothes? Or is it the publicity you love?” Murphy shot back.

Remington shook his head then answered quietly, “No it’s no the publicity I love.”

That stopped Murphy in his tracks as he wasn’t expecting that response. When he looked at him expectantly, Remington summoned up his courage then confessed, “I love her. I love Laura,” somehow finding it easier to say to someone else rather than to the woman herself. Just then Laura emerged from the bedroom after quickly throwing some clothes on and heard what he said.

“You do?” she asked as she came up to the two of them, not quite believing what she’d heard him say. Remington hesitated for a moment then looking at her, repeated his declaration, not caring that Murphy was standing right next to them. “Yes I do. I love you Laura. I think I’ve loved you from the first day we met and you told me off for assuming you were a secretary. I’ve just been too scared to admit it – I’ve never loved anyone before, not really. But when I almost lost you last night I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I loved you and I couldn’t imagine my life without you,” he confessed, his eyes shining with sincerity.

“I.. I love you too,” Laura confessed as a dimpled smile spread across her face, knowing that his declaration just confirmed what his actions had shown her time and time again, culminating in the way he had made love to her that day.

As Murphy looked at him he finally saw what he’d been trying to deny all along – despite his former profession and all his flashy façade, the guy actually did love her. And as he observed Laura he knew, what he had always suspected to be the case, that she loved him too.

Feeling like the perennial third wheel and not wanting to intrude on their moment he muttered a little awkwardly, “I guess I better leave you to it then. For what it’s worth Laura – I think he’s telling the truth.”

Both Remington and Laura flashed him grateful smiles, “I assure you Murphy old chap I have never been more truthful in my entire life.”

“Somehow I don’t find that hard to believe,” Murphy couldn’t help but reply with the hint of a grin then his expression turned serious again, “But I swear if you hurt her Steele you’ll have me to answer to.”

“I have no intention of hurting her Murphy,” Remington reassured him as he put an arm around Laura. “And if he does you’ll have to take a number Murph,” she laughed as she gave Remington a pointed look and slipped an arm around his waist.

Murphy nodded, knowing anything he could inflict on Steele was nothing compared to what Laura could if he crossed her.

In a gesture of good faith to the other man Remington then said, “Would you like a drink or anything while you’re here Murphy?” but Murphy shook his head.

“No thanks I ah..have some things of my own I need to sort out,” he replied somewhat cryptically as he apologized for barging in on them then bid them farewell. As he walked back out to his car he said to himself as he made his mind up about his future, “Time to move on Murph.”

************************************


End file.
